All Entries Tagged With: "Putnam"

With only weeks left in the current state legislative session, Westchester and Putnam school officials are urging lawmakers to halt the proposed Education Transformation Act of 2015. At a Thursday morning press conference at Harrison High School, parents and school officials from more than 40 districts across the two counties demanded the immediate suspension of […]

The Putnam County Historic Courthouse hit a milestone last Thursday when county and local officials and dozens of residents packed the Carmel building to celebrate its 200th birthday. For two centuries, the Historic Courthouse, built in 1814, has been standing. Historians for the county spoke to the significance and the intrigue the building brought over […]

Former Assemblyman Robert Castelli made it official on Tuesday announcing that he will challenge Yorktown Councilman Terrence Murphy for the Republican nomination for the 40th state Senate District seat being vacated by Sen. Greg Ball. Castelli, 64, of Goldens Bridge, said he is running to give Republican voters in the district a choice of who […]

With petition season fully underway, the legislature seat for District 2 will finally have a new representative for the first time in almost 20 years. With Democratic stalwart and current Legislator Sam Oliverio opting to run for Putnam County Executive, two long time Putnam Valley residents, Democrat Wendy Whetsel and Republican Bill Gouldman are vying […]

By Martin Wilbur and David Propper Following the arrest of Mahopac Falls resident and former police chief Brian Fanelli, who worked for a town police department in Westchester County, two more Putnam County residents were nabbed in connection to a follow up investigation called Operation Caireen. Carmel resident John Asmodeo and Kent resident Christian Cote […]

Mahopac School Board President, Raymond Cote, has resigned following public outcry about derogatory remarks he made about a parent at the end of an April 8 Board of Education meeting. At a May 13 board meeting, attorney for the district, Ralph DeMarco, announced the resignation of Cote, effective immediately, and read a statement from the […]

Although one state lawmaker announced last week he was calling quits, another declared his intent to run for reelection. State Sen. Greg Ball caught the headlines with his decision to not run for any public office, but that didn’t did stop Assemblyman Steve Katz from announcing his bid for reelection. At a press conference Thursday, […]

After originally canceling the event, Putnam Tourism announced a new date for the Putnam Cycling Classic. At first, in conjunction with other county and town departments involved in the all day event, Putnam Tourism decided to call off the event completely last Wednesday morning because of a forecast of rain, thunderstorms, and even possible hail […]

Alberta Kozma As the sole incumbent, Alberta Kozma believes the board has done what is right for the district. By working together well with other board members, she thinks she can continue to be an important part of the board. As an elementary school teacher, Kozma first ran because she wanted to put more of […]

In another stunning turn of events exposing the miserable relationship between Sheriff Don Smith and District Attorney Adam Levy, Smith has filed a $5 million defamation lawsuit against Levy. Smith, who is already being sued for defamation by Levy for the same sum of money, claims Levy defamed him in an article published last year […]

By Janine Bowen Following the announcement of his appointment to the position of Director of Code Enforcer, Patterson Councilman Robert McCarthy is looking forward to getting to work. McCarthy has nearly thirty years of experience in construction, having logged 11 years in commercial construction and 22 years in residential construction. He has been certified by […]

By Janine Bowen Putnam County residents worked together to explore ways to make Tilly Foster Farm self-sustaining and attractive to visitors at the final public forum about the county owned property last Wednesday. Prior to residents breaking up into groups to discuss ideas for the farm, Deputy County Executive Bruce Walker explained the effort is […]

Bickering between the two announced county executive candidates in Putnam, incumbent MaryEllen Odell and challenger Sam Oliverio continued last week and only appeared to be heating up. Oliverio, a Democrat and legislator for District 2 sent out a robocall last week, attacking Odell on issues the Putnam Valley resident has brought up previous times, citing […]

Putnam County Chambers of Commerce (PCCC), the county’s largest business organization and primary advocate, voice, and resource for the business community, will spearhead the rebranding and awareness campaign for “Putnam Moves,” the county’s redesigned public transportation system. The rebranding effort kicks off today with the “Putnam Moves” Logo Design Contest. Students, K – 12, residing […]

David Bruen, Putnam’s first county executive and the man who oversaw the transformation of county government to what it is today, died last Saturday at the age of 84. Colleagues and friends remembered Bruen, the only Democrat to hold the office of county executive, as a leader who was the right man for the job when Putnam changed from a six-member […]

By the end of the month, Tilly Foster Farm will officially come to an end of an era. By January 31, the Tilly Foster Farm Museum and all activities will cease as the Whipple family and Preserve Putnam, which were managing the farm, are leaving after all financial support ended late last year. The farm […]

Just as pressure against Putnam County District Attorney Adam Levy seemed to be tampering, county legislator Sam Oliverio has renewed his call for Levy to resign following a news report alleging more misconduct by the embattled DA. Oliverio, a Democrat who represents District 2 in the legislature, said in a statement “it is time for […]

Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Ct., schools officials across the county look to keeps school and students secure. A year later and Thomas Manko can still clearly remember exactly where he was when he heard a gunman had stormed Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Ct. killing 26 people, 20 […]

Touting his long public service record, Duchess County Legislature Chairman Rob Rolison told about 60 residents in Putnam Valley last week he was the right candidate to retake the 41st District state Senate seat for the Republican Party. The seat is currently held by Democrat Terry Gipson. Rolison was the only candidate to participate in […]

A proposal to expand the capacity of the Algonquin natural gas pipeline was sharply questioned at the Nov. 21 Southeast Town Board meeting. James Luskay, a regional director of engineering and construction for Spectra Energy told the town board the proposed changes would be made for the Algonquin pile line, which runs from New Jersey […]

Just a week after George Whipple announced through a letter to the Putnam County Legislature that he was pulling financial support from Tilly Foster Farm, the group he is part of, Preserve Putnam announced its intention to stop the day-to-day operation of the farm in Southeast. While Preserve Putnam might be pulling support and relinquishing […]

The proposed 2014 Carmel town budget, which includes a tax increase well above the state-mandated cap, was sharply criticized by some residents during a public hearing on Nov. 6. Supervisor Kenneth Schmitt has proposed at $24.95 million general and highway spending plan that includes a tax rate increase of 4.7 percent. Taxes on a home […]

First state senator Greg Ball called on the governor’s office for an independent investigation into the actions of Putnam County District Attorney Adam Levy. Now, a member of the county legislature is calling for the same action. District 2 Legislator Sam Oliverio sent a letter to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Eric […]

Putnam County Department of Health officials were notified by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) last week that two Putnam residents were positively confirmed for Powassan (POW) virus, a tick-borne illness. The two affected individuals are recovering at home. POW virus, like Lyme disease, is transmitted through the bite of an infected deer […]

When discussing the common core learning standards, Putnam Valley interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Fran Wills isn’t shy in expressing her support for the newly implemented standards. The veteran administrator admits that in a changing job market educators must rethink how instruction is shaped. She agrees with the notion that standards should create an equitable […]

For the second straight year, New York State Senator Greg Ball presented a check for the Putnam/ Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center to cap off National Domestic Violence Month. Showing up at the center’s headquarters in Mahopac Thursday afternoon, Ball presented a $50,000 state grant to executive director Ann Ellsworth, who said the money would […]

Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith is reminding all Putnam County residents to be especially careful during the evening hours of October 31st, as many of our young people throughout the County will be out and about celebrating Halloween or Harvest Fest. Parents are urged to follow the following safety tips: Costume Tips: Face Paint […]

The Putnam County Legislature has revised its 2014 budget plan to meet the state-mandated property tax cap. The full legislature voted unanimously on Oct. 17 to reduce the proposed property tax levy increase from its previous 1.95 percent to 1.66 percent as originally proposed by County Executive MaryEllen Odell in her original spending plan. The […]

New York State Assemblyman Steve Katz (R/Mohegan Lake) announced his intention to introduce legislation that would protect retirees whose pensions get sold or spun off by their former employers during a press conference last week. Katz, who represents parts of Putnam, Westchester, and Dutchess counties, said the intent of legislation is to “protect our retirees […]

By Jon Craig Hundreds of Mahopac students, friends and relatives of Justin Sacco, a 13-year-old who suffered a traumatic brain injury last month, turned out Saturday to raise money toward his recovery “This is phenomenal,’’ Justin’s father, Anthony, said after announcing raffle winners during a five-hour fundraiser at the South Side Inn. “There are so […]